C.L. Denault is a speculative fiction writer who loves dreaming up tales of adventure and intrigue. A former systems analyst, she gave up her nerdy code-writing skills to stay home with her children (including a son with special needs), and currently lives among the vast stretches of cornfields in Illinois.

Writing and blogging are two of her passions, along with drinking coffee and watching sci-fi and horror flicks. When she’s not hanging out with her family, she can usually be found at a library or tucked away in the shadowy corner of a hip coffeehouse. She’s also been glimpsed sneaking into her garage, late at night, to work on her time machine.

She enjoys connecting with people (especially those from other planets, dimensions, and the fuC.L. Denault is a speculative fiction writer who loves dreaming up tales of adventure and intrigue. A former systems analyst, she gave up her nerdy code-writing skills to stay home with her children (including a son with special needs), and currently lives among the vast stretches of cornfields in Illinois.

Writing and blogging are two of her passions, along with drinking coffee and watching sci-fi and horror flicks. When she’s not hanging out with her family, she can usually be found at a library or tucked away in the shadowy corner of a hip coffeehouse. She’s also been glimpsed sneaking into her garage, late at night, to work on her time machine.

She enjoys connecting with people (especially those from other planets, dimensions, and the future). To find her, just visit her website or The INFJ Café. Or use a Stargate. Whichever is easiest....more

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C.L. DenaultHi there! I'm so, so glad you enjoyed Gambit! We don't currently have a release date set, because I'm still writing the sequel. Working as hard as I c…moreHi there! I'm so, so glad you enjoyed Gambit! We don't currently have a release date set, because I'm still writing the sequel. Working as hard as I can. :) I also just started putting Prodigy Chronicles trivia on my blog once a week to supplement the story/series until I'm finished. I'll try to keep everyone posted on the progress of the sequel out there (http://cldenault.com/blog). Thanks for your interest!! (less)

A friend recommended this book to me, and after reading the description, I knew I had to read it. Sincere thanks to the publisher for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

"Disfigured" revolves around fairy tales and how they influence ouA friend recommended this book to me, and after reading the description, I knew I had to read it. Sincere thanks to the publisher for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

"Disfigured" revolves around fairy tales and how they influence our expectations and behavior. Amanda Leduc dives deeply into the history of these tales, their creation and purpose, and how their evolution was shaped by various religions, socio-economic trends, and political climates. Along the way, she shares her own experience with disability (moving me to tears more than once), and ultimately brings us into modern day and the confusing messages we get from the media about heroes, success, and "happily ever after."

This was a very compelling read. Leduc explores many underlying themes in these tales we all learn as children--the most revealing, to me, being that the main character is almost always expected to change. Rather than society changing and learning to support that character's challenges, it's the character who must overcome (through sacrifice, faith, or hard work) and ultimately "earn" the happy ending.

Another troubling theme explored is that of perfection--the princess is always beautiful, always healthy, always gets her handsome prince. Where are the princesses with glasses or in wheelchairs, Leduc asks. Where is the community that grows to accept her for who she is, rather than expect her to magically become a stereotypical, media-driven ideal?

Good questions.

There's way more in this book than I can describe, so I'll wrap up with one of my favorite lines: "Give me fairy tales where disabled characters not only triumph but also change the world." I love that, and I love this book for its honesty and courage. Well done, Leduc. Well done....more

"Gambit - an opening move in which a player makes a sacrificeThis term refers to the huge sacrifice that Willow Kent the lovable character that comes from the cruel, harsh environment otherwise known as 'The Outlying Lands'.This book captured my atten"
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